Jenny Lee’s Anna K has fast become a YA cult classic – ahead of the release of the sequel, we review the novel and give our verdict. Order a copy of the book here.
Anna K. is a Manhattan socialite, who seems to have the perfect immensely opulent life, complete with his perfect (yet boring) boyfriend Alexander W. Based on Anna Karenina, the novel opens with Anna’s brother Steven who has been caught by his girlfriend Lolly in a sexting scandal. Meanwhile, Lolly’s sister, Kimmie is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career, while Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie. Anna seems to be able to live a life without drama, until the night she meets Alexia Vronsky at Grand Central – a notorious playboy who Kimmie is in love with. Alexia and Anna fall nearly instantly in love, and keep being drawn together, despite the fact that she is with the golden child of Greenwich, Alexander.
For those who are fans of Gossip Girl and Crazy Rich Asians, Anna K is immensely appealing – a dazzlingly opulent and emotionally riveting novel – set on a glorious backdrop, complete with labels galore, an exquisitely unattainable and fantastical lifestyle that feels perfectly escapist for the current moment. Anna K is a dizzying, glorious experience of first love and heartbreak, with beautiful displays of wealth and luxury – it’s a fun-filled romp that still sees Lee navigate through topics including drug addiction, depression and love that make it yet more engaging. All of the characters, though problematic and difficult, still have charming characteristics, it is their flaws that make them more human, making the novel so compelling. As its a retelling, the storyline is not surprising, but it is still artfully done. The novel is currently in the works to become an HBO Max series (release date TBD).
